Refrigerating apparatus



Dec. l5, 1942. R E GOULD- REFRIGEHATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 28, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 1 INV ENT OR.

l R. E. GOLILD REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25, 1941 Dec. l5, 1942,

INVENTOR- Patented Dec. 15, 1942 REFRIGEBAT'ING APPARATUS f l v e Richard E. Gould, Oaliwood, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a l

corporation of Delaware Application February 2s, 1941, serial No. 381,189

8 Claims.

' is built directly into thecasing which encloses the compressor.

.Another object of this invention is to provide a 10 moving the heat of condensation. refrigerating system in which a small high-speed The air to be conditioned is circulated' in ther-l engine is used for driving a small compressor at mal exchange with a volatile refrigerant evapol high speed and in which improved means is prorator 36 mounted within the passenger compa'rtvided for vcooling the compressor, the condenser ment 31 of the automobile. Air is circulated over and the engine. v' 15 the evaporator 36 by means of an electric an unit Still another object of this invention is to pro- 38. The construction and arrangement of theV vide an improved arrangement for more efficiently fan unit 38 and the evaporator 36 are broadly imcooling the shaft seal in an engine driven refrigmaterial. As shown in Fig. 1, the evaporator erant compressing unit. may be located under the front seat of the pas- Further objects and advantages of the present 0 lsenger compartment. As shown in Fig. 2, the invention will be apparent from the following de ow of refrigerant to the evaporator is. controlled scription, reference being had to the accompanyby a conventional thermostatic expansion valve ing drawings, wherein a preferred form of the 40. The valve 40 is provided with the usual therpresent invention is clearlyshown. mostatic bulb 42 located adjacent the outlet of In the drawings: g5 the evaporator so as to prevent an excessive Fig.v 1 is a side elevational view showing the aramount of refrigerant from being supplied to thel rangement of the refrigerating apparatus in a evaporator 36.4 standard automobile; and I A I'he refrigerant vaporized in the evaporator 36 `Fig. 2 is a view, partly diagrammatic, showing is withdrawn through the vapor line 44 by the the arrangement of the condenser, the com- :zo compressor I8. The compressed refrigerant pressor, and the shaft seal cooling apparatus. leaving the compressor I8 discharges through the Since the space available for mounting a c'omoutlet 46 into the compressor chamber 30 which plete air conditioning system in an automobile is serves as -an oil reservoir.v The compressed revery limited, it becomes necessary to make the frigerant vapor flows from the chamber 30' intovarious parts of the air conditioning apparatus :z5 the condensing chamber-32 through the passage very small and compact. AIt is also necessary to 46 provided in the vWall 50 which separates the construct and arrangethe parts so that they will chamber 30 from the chamber 32. The comnot become damaged during shipment or during pressed refrigerant entering the chamber 32 coninstallation. The system shown in the drawing denses on the outer surface of the water coil 34 has been specially designed so as to include the klo and collects in the bottom of the chamber as above mentioned desirable features and at the shown in Fig. 1. same time be easy to install. Cooling water is supplied to the water coil 32 In the drawings, reference numeral I0 desigby the pump 5I` arranged to be driven by the ennates a conventional passenger automobile driven gine I6. The water leaves the coil 34 through by means of the internal combustion' engine -I2, 45 the passage 54 which discharges the water into which is of conventional construction. The the .shaft seal cooling chamber 56. From the waste heat of the engine I2 is dissipated by means shaft seal cooling. compartment 56, the water oftheusual engine radiator I4 located in front of flows through a pipe line 58 leading to the inthe automobile engine I2. The refrigerating ap-4 ternal combustion engine I6 where the water abparatus comprises an internal combustion engine 50 sorbs the heat generated by the internal combus- (Cl. (i2-'117) bolted to the main engine housing by means of I6 adapted to b e driven at :speeds ranging up to bolts 26. The compressor I8 is enclosed within av cylindricalhousing 28 which is bolted to the heusing 24 by means of bolts such as 25 and which is provided with a compressor chamber 30, and a condensing chamber 32. Awater coil 34 is provided Within the condensing chamber 32 for reti'on engine I6.' The water thus heated flows from the'engine I6 through the line 60 which conveys the heated water to a special Water cooling radiator 62 located in front of the main engine radiator I4.

By virtue of the above described arrangement the water which is used for cooling the various portions of the refrigerating system, rst flows through the condenser coil wherein the cold- ,est water is required and thereafter flows through the shaft seal cooling chamber 56 wherein somewhat warmer water may be used. After leaving the internal combustion engine I6, it is Within the purview of this invention to have the pump 5I driven by the main fan belt 52. However, the arrangement shown is the preferred arrangement since with such an arrangement the pump 5| will operate at a suitable speed at all times when the engine I6 operates. The engine I6 is a conventional high speed engine which may, for example, be of the general type commonly used for outboard motors.

For purposes of illustration, the refrigerant liquefying apparatus has been shown located beside the main car engine I2. However, it could be located most anywhere on the car, such as under the chassis or in the trunk compartment of the car without the necessity of ldisturbing the "relationship between the compressor and the condenser since the compressor and the condenser are both located within the same casing.

In order to simplify the disclosure, the usual safety devices such as-the high pressure cutout control and the like have been omitted whereas in actual practice all of the usual controls would be used. Since the controls form no part of my invention they have not been shown.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A refrigerant liquefying unit comprising in combination, a casing, a high speed internal combustion engine within said casing, a compressor within said casing having a shaft driven by said engine, shaftl seal means for preventing the escape of refrigerant from said compressor along said shaft, Ameans for discharging compressed refrigerant into said casing, a cooling coil within said casing for condensing the compressed refrigerant within said casing, means forming a shaft seal cooling chamber within said casing, and means for circulating a cooling fluid through said cooling coil, said shaft seal cooling chamber and thereafter in thermal exchange with said engine.

2. In combination With'anv automobile having a passenger compartment, an evaporator for cooling air for said compartment, a refrigerant liquefying unit for supplying liquid refrigerant to said evaporator comprising in combination, a casing, a high speed internal con bustion engine/within said casing, a compressor within said casing having a shaft driven by said engine, shaft seal means for preventing the escape of refrigerant from said compressor along said shaft, means forv discharging compressed refrigerant into said casing, a cooling coil within said casing for condensing the compressed refrigerant within said casing, means forming a shaft seal cooling chamber within said casing, and means for circulating a cooling fluid through said cooling coil, said shaft seal` cooling chamber and thereafter in.

thermal exchange with said engine.

3. A refrigerant liquefying unit comprising in combination, a casing," anl internal combustion engine within said casing, a compressor within said casing having a shaft driven by said engine, shaft seal means for preventing the escape of refrigerant from said compressor along said shaft, means for condensing the compressed refrigerant, means forming a shaft seal cooling chamber within said casing, a condenser cooling coil, and means for circulating a cooling fluid through said cooling coil, said shaft seal cooling chamber and thereafter i'n-/thermal exchange with said engine.

4. In combination with an automobile having a passenger compartment, an evaporator for cooling air for said compartment, a refrigerant liquefying unit for supplying liquid refrigerant to said evaporator comprising in combination, a casing,

an internal combustion engine within said casing,

a compressor within aid casing having a shaft driven by said engine, shaft seal means for preventing the escape of refrigerant from said compressor along said shaft,4 means for condensing the compressed refrigerant, means forming a shaft seal cooling chamber within saidcasing, a condenser cooling coil, and means for circulating a cooling fluid through said-cooling coll, said shaft sealing cooling chamber and thereafter in thermal exchange with said engine.

5. In combination with an automobile having a passenger compartment, and an engine compartment, an evaporator for cooling air for said passenger compartment, a refrigerant'liquefying unit for supplying liqid refrigerant to said evaporator comprising in combination, acasing located-in the main engine compartment of said automobile, an internal combustion engine within said casing, a compressor within` said casing having alshaft driven by said engine, shaft seal means for preventing the escape of refrigerant from said compressor along said shaft, means for condensing the compressed refrigerant, means forming a shaft seal cooling chamber within said casing, a condenser cooling coil, and means for circulating a cooling uid through said cooling coil, said shaft seal cooling chamber and thereafter in thermal exchange with said engine.

6. A refrigerant liquefying unit comprising in combination, a casing, an internal combustion engine Within said casing, a compressor having a` shaft drivenl by said engine, shaft seal means for preventing the escape of refrigerant from said compressor along said shaft, means for condensing the compressed refrigerant, means forming a shaft seal cooling chamber within' said casing, a condenser cooling coil, and means for vided with a drive shaft, means within said casing for supplying power to said compressor drive shaft, shaft seal means for preventing the escape of refrigerant from said compressor along said drive shaft, a condensing chamber within said casing, a shaft seal cooling chamber, a heat dissipating radiator adapted to be mounted in -said engine compartment, means for circulating a cooling fluid through said condensing chamber,

said shaft seal cooling chamber and thereafter through said heat dissipating radiator.-

Y 8. Refrigerant liquefying apparatus comprising in combination, a casing, a compresosr withasus,

in said casing, a. drive shaft for said compressor, an internal combustion engine for driving said shaft, va sh'alt seal for Vpreventing the escape of refrigerant from said compressor, means'for cooling said shaft seal, a condenser, and a closed cooling system for supplying a cooling medium to said condenser, said shaft seal cooling means 

